Finishing all 9 cases in FORENSIC - M.E. Protocol takes approximately 12 to 15 hours for a standard, story-focused playthrough. However, if you're aiming for the true challenge of a 100% completionist run with a perfect S-rank on every case, you're looking at a much more substantial investment of 25 to 30 hours. The significant time difference isn't due to traditional difficulty settings, but the game's demand for procedural perfection, meticulous evidence collection, and the need to replay cases to achieve a flawless investigation.
This guide breaks down exactly where that time goes, what the demanding S-rank requires, and how you can approach the game for a faster, more efficient clear. Unlike other investigation games, your biggest enemy here isn't a timer, but your own attention to detail.
Your Playtime Estimate: Story Run vs. S-Rank Perfection
Not everyone plays the same way. Your final playtime in FORENSIC - M.E. Protocol will depend entirely on your goal. The game has 9 cases, including the initial tutorial, which you can replay at any time. [2, 7]
Main Story Run: 12–15 Hours
If you simply want to experience the narrative of each of the nine cases, you can expect a playthrough in this range. A story-focused run involves finding the critical evidence needed to reach a conclusion, engaging with the core puzzles, and moving on once you've submitted your report. You'll likely finish most cases with a C or B rank, having missed optional evidence or made minor procedural errors. This is the baseline experience.
Diligent Investigator (Story + Extras): 18–22 Hours
This is for players who take their time on the first pass. You're not actively hunting for the S-rank yet, but you are trying to be thorough. You'll spend extra time exploring crime scenes, analyzing every potential piece of evidence, and trying to make the most logical deductions possible. This playtime is also inflated by the game's notorious two-item carry limit, which forces constant, time-consuming trips back to your van to swap equipment. [1]
100% S-Rank Completionist: 25–30+ Hours
This is the true endgame of FORENSIC - M.E. Protocol. Achieving an S-rank on all nine cases demands absolute perfection and requires replaying most cases at least once. You cannot miss a single piece of evidence, make a single incorrect deduction, or contaminate the crime scene. [1, 2] This is where you'll spend hours mastering the game's systems, learning the optimal path through a crime scene, and developing a flawless rhythm of investigation. The satisfaction is immense, but it requires significant patience and a methodical approach.
The 9 Cases: A Time and Difficulty Breakdown
The game's difficulty curve is based on knowledge and complexity, not action. Early cases teach you the tools, while later ones combine mechanics in challenging ways. Some cases may not even involve a crime at all, and figuring that out is part of the puzzle. [7]
Here’s a look at what to expect from each case:
| Case # | Case Name / Subject | Est. Time (First Pass) | Key S-Rank Challenge |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Introduction | 30-45 mins | Mastering basic tool usage and photo logging. |
| 2 | The Playground | 1-1.5 hours | Correctly identifying and analyzing multiple fluid samples. |
| 3 | Male Under Bridge | 1-1.5 hours | Ballistics analysis and trajectory reconstruction. |
| 4 | The Court | 1.5-2 hours | Handling a larger, multi-room environment without contamination. |
| 5 | Two Female Suspects | 2-2.5 hours | Managing a complex web of digital evidence and witness statements. [6] |
| 6 | The Crimson Marionette | 2-2.5 hours | Advanced chemical analysis and linking trace evidence. |
| 7 | Kidnapping | 2.5-3 hours | Following a trail across a wider area and using the drone effectively. |
| 8 | Red-Handed | 2.5-3 hours | Discovering well-hidden evidence and solving environmental puzzles. |
| 9 | Hidden Treasure | 3-4 hours | A final exam combining all mechanics under complex circumstances. [10] |
Infographic: The 9 cases of Forensic M.E. Protocol, showing the progression from foundational to complex investigations.
The later cases, especially from "The Court" onwards, significantly ramp up the number of evidence points and potential red herrings. A single missed fingerprint or misidentified substance in "Hidden Treasure" can send you right back to the start of the case if you're aiming for that perfect S-rank.
What Does an S-Rank Actually Demand?
Getting an S-rank is the ultimate expression of mastery in FORENSIC - M.E. Protocol. It’s not about speed—the game famously has no timers—but about flawless execution. [4] Your final grade is based on a hidden scorecard that tracks three core areas of your performance.
The Three Pillars of S-Rank
- 100% Evidence Collection: This is non-negotiable. You must find, photograph, and correctly analyze every single piece of scannable evidence in a case. This includes obvious items like weapons and bodies, but also subtle clues like trace fibers, hidden documents on a phone, or faint fingerprints on a windowpane. If you submit your report with even one item missing, the S-rank is impossible.
- Procedural Integrity: The game tracks your adherence to forensic protocol. This means no cross-contamination. [2] Walking through a bloodstain, failing to use gloves, or mishandling a sample can void your perfect run. You must treat the crime scene like a real investigator, establishing a clean path and handling evidence with the correct tools in the correct order.
- Deduction Accuracy: At the end of each case, you must piece together the timeline and conclusion based on your findings. Every link you make must be supported by the evidence you've collected. Making a single logical leap or an incorrect conclusion will drop your score. You need to be both a perfect collector and a perfect analyst.
Comic Grid: Four panels showing how to fail an S-Rank: missing evidence, scene contamination, wrong deductions, and the inventory limit.
The two-item carry limit is your greatest enemy in this pursuit. Forgetting a tool and having to run back to the van is annoying on a casual playthrough; on an S-rank run, it's a potential source of error and contamination that can ruin hours of work.
Tips for a Faster, Cleaner S-Rank Run
Shaving hours off your completion time and avoiding frustration is possible with the right strategy. Don't try to get an S-rank on your first attempt at a case. It's far more efficient to treat your first playthrough as reconnaissance.
First Pass is for Learning
Use your initial run-through of a case to learn the layout, identify all evidence locations without the pressure of perfection, and understand the core narrative. Take notes if you have to. Once you know exactly what to do and where everything is, start a fresh run via the case select menu with the sole goal of executing the S-rank strategy flawlessly.
Master Your Inventory Route
Since you can only carry two items (or a camera), your biggest time sink is running back and forth to the van. [1] Plan your route. Group tasks that require the same tools. For example, do all your fingerprint dusting and lifting in one go. Then, swap out for vials and do all your liquid sample collection. A planned approach minimizes backtracking and reduces the chance of contaminating the scene on a careless return trip.
Annotated Diagram of the Forensic M.E. Protocol toolkit, with tips on using the UV scanner, drone, and other tools efficiently.
Internalize the M.E. Toolkit
Spend time in the early cases truly mastering your equipment. Learn the effective range of the UV scanner, understand what the different chemical analyzer readings mean, and get comfortable piloting the drone. The game does a poor job of teaching you these things, so hands-on practice is essential. [13] Knowing your tools instinctively will make later, more complex cases feel far more manageable.
Manual Saves are Your Best Friend
While the game auto-saves, get into the habit of making a manual save before entering a new area or after completing a major evidence-gathering phase. If you realize you've made a mistake—like walking through a critical area—you can reload without having to restart the entire case.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you miss anything permanently in a playthrough? No. The game is divided into nine self-contained cases that can be replayed at any time from the main menu. [2] You can't lock yourself out of content, but you can fail an S-rank attempt within a case by missing evidence, forcing a restart of that specific case.
Is there a New Game+ mode? There is no formal New Game+ mode. The case selection menu serves the same purpose, allowing you to carry your knowledge into any previously completed case to improve your rank.
Does difficulty affect how long it takes to beat? FORENSIC - M.E. Protocol does not have traditional difficulty settings (Easy, Normal, Hard). The challenge is inherent in the complexity of the puzzles and the strict requirements for achieving a high rank.
What's the final case, "Hidden Treasure," like? It is the longest and most complex case in the game, acting as a final exam of all the skills you've developed. It features a large environment, multiple layers of evidence, and requires you to use nearly every tool in your kit to achieve the S-rank. [10]
The Final Verdict
FORENSIC - M.E. Protocol is a game of two halves. The 12-to-15-hour story mode offers a compelling and unique series of investigative puzzles. But the real, long-term challenge lies in the 25+ hour journey to S-rank perfection. It’s a demanding and often methodical process that rewards patience, observation, and a sharp, logical mind over quick reflexes. Beating the game is one thing; mastering it is another entirely.